Polish official understands emotions behind far-right attack

WARSAW, Poland — The spokeswoman for Poland’s ruling conservative party says she can “understand” the emotions that drove far-right extremists to attack an anti-government protester, though she said the violence should not have happened.

The attack took place Saturday in the central Polish city of Radom during a protest by the Committee for the Defence of Democracy, a civic group opposed to the current government.

During the protest, young men aligned with the All Polish Youth and the National Radical Camp assaulted a protester.

Beata Mazurek, the spokeswoman for the ruling Law and Justice party, said Monday that she saw the attack as “reaction” to recent anti-government demonstrations that have involved protesters trying to block elected government officials.

She said: “It was a situation that should never have taken place but I understand them.”